Lightning arrester



R. WOLF ET AL LIGHTNING ARRESTER Get. 21 ,'1924. 1,512,387

Filed May 10 1920 I NTORS' a 0 MAY-1 14 TTORAIEYS Patent on. 21, 1924.

RUDOLF WOLF, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., AND HENRY G. PIERSON, bl SOUTH is.

NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNORS TO FOO'IE, PIERSON & CO. (INC), OF NEW YO If. 2.,A

GOBPQRATIO'N "OF YO Lie-Erm ne Application filed May 10,

many, and a resident of New York city Bronx County, State of New York,and

HENRY G. PIERSON, a citizen of the United States, and resident of thecity of South Orange, county of Essex, State of New J ersey, haveinvented a certain new and useful Im rovement in Lightning Arresters, ofwhich the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to lightning arrest-' ers for telegraph wires andthe like.

Among the objects of the present invention it is aimed to provide animproved device for telegraph wires and the like that will serve both toarrest lightning and in addition take care of high tension currents thatmay be crossed in. Due to the powerful wind storms frequentlyaccompanying electric storms, telegraph wires and the ike in thevicinity of electric light and power conductors are frequently thrustinto contact with such conductors to constitute what is commonly knownas a cross. Should such a cross exist, and the lightning by jumping tothe ground establish an are for the power circuit, the latter mightdevelop sufficient current to melt the cable leading from the line wiresto the arresters. The present invention aims to provide an improveddevice that will not only arrest the lightning but in addition will takecare of such high tension currents without, on that account requiringthe device thereafter to be reset, reconnected, or in any wayreadjusted.

The invention further contemplates cer tain features of constructionparticularly adapted to a device of this class.

These and other features, capabilities and advantages of the inventionwill appear from the subjoined detailed description of certain specificembodiments thereof illustrated'in the accompanying drawings in which,

Figure 1 is a fragmental plan illustrating a number of the arrestersgrouped together.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of a single ar-' rester of the typeillustrated in Fig. 1.

Figure 3 is a plan of another type of arrester, and

Figure 4 is a fragmental portion of still another type of arrester.

In the embodiment illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, there is shown asupporting block 5 1920. Serial No. 880,054.

preferably composed of rcelain or the like agvmg two enlarged enportions 6 and 7 a medial supporting portion Sand two intermediatediminished cylindrical portions 9 and 10, connecting the end portions 6and 7 with the medial portion 8.

The end r-tions 6 and 7 are provided with recesse seats 11 in alinementwith one another and disposed in a plane, a slightly greater distanceremoved from the alined surfaces of the cylindrical portions 9' and 10than the supporting suriiace 12 of the medial supporting portion 8 isremoved therefrom. The seats 11 and surface 12 receive a metal plate1.3, the medial portion. of which is pressed into engagement with thesurface 12, so that the ends of the plate 13 which engage the seats 11are disposed a slightly ate! distance removed from the alined su-r acesof the cylindrical portions 9 and 10 than the medial ortion thereofengaging the surface 12 is removed therefrom.

The end portions 6 and 7 are provided with binding posts 14, 15,respectively, the binding post 14 being connected by a con ductor 16 tothe line, and the binding so 15 being connected by a conductor 17 to theinstruments. A conductor 18 formed into coils 19 and 20 extends from.the bindi 14: along a recess 21. formed in the on portion 6, around thecylindrical portion 9, through a recess formed in the medial portion 8,around the cylindrical rtion 10, and then along a recess 22 forme in theend portion 7 to the binding post 15.

By means of the fiexure of the plate 13 caused by being pressed intoengagement with the seats 11, and the surface 12 slightly ofi'setrelative to the seats 11, it will be seen that the distanceof the late13 from the coils 19 and 20 gradually becomes less as the medial portion8 is approached. The plate. 13 is connected to ground by means of abinding post 23. As a discharge of lightning is induced through the line16 it will pass through the coils 19 and 20 and discharge therefrom tothe plate 13 and be thereby grounded. Thedistance of the plate 13 fromthe convolutions of the coils 19 and 20, nearest the end portions 6 and7 is about one eighth of an inch, while in the vicinity of the medialportion 8 be broken up into a dozen or more little discharges, no one ofwhich is of sufficient ntensity to raise a'burr on the plate 13.

The present invention contemplates combiniw the arrangement of lightningarrester justescribed with means for dissipating and arresting hightension currents that miht be crossed in. For this purpose, the 'm imentillustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 is provided with plates 24 and 25 which areconnected to the bindin posts 14 and 15 respectively, and extend terefrom toward one another for a substantial distance over plate 13. Theends 26 and 27 of these plates are slightly tapered and rounded, andbent upwardly from the plate 13 in an arcuate direction. The distance ofthe plates 24 and from the plate 13 varies throughout the length of theplates, the distance being least, nearest the end portions 6 and 7 andin-. creasing as the ends 26 and 27 are approached. By means of thisvariation a high tension current, if received either b the conductor 16or conductor 17 will be distributed throughout the lengths of the plates24 and 25 and not be localized whereby the forma tion of burrs caused ba localized discharge is guarded against. t has been found that by thisarrangement, the high tension currents which camiot pass through thecoils 19 and 20 and dischar e therefrom through the plate 13 will pass trough the plates 24 and 25 and discharge therefrom to the plate 13 to begrounded, and that whatever current is carried to the ends 26 and 27will be dissipated therefrom intothe atmosphere.

In Fig. 4 the high tension plate 28 there I shown is provided with amore pronounced curve, as compared with the plate 25 of Fig. 2, and hasa greater portion of its length bent upward from the plate 13. It hasbeen found that thi arrangement is particularly advantageous with theheavier high tension currents.

The modification shown in Fig. 3 combines the form'of lightning arresterillustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 with a difi'erent form of high tensionarrester. The high tension arrester here provided comprises essentiallytwo end plates 30 and 31 extending toward one another from the bindingposts 32 and 33, and along ground plate 34, similar to the ground plate13 shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The ends of the plates 30 and 31 are serratedto form the saw teeth 35 and 36 which are opposed to the serrated ends37 and 38 of a medial plate 39, secured to a medial binding post 40which is connected to ground. The discharge of high tension current inthis modification passes along the plates 30 and 31, discharging to theground plate 34 and whatever current remains jumps from the saw teeth 35and 36 to the saw teeth 37 and 38 of the plate 39 and is-therebygrounded.

A plurality of arrester units may be arrniaaet the line to be protected,and a ground plate arranged longitudinally of the coil, there being agap of varying width between the coil and plate.

2. A device of the character described, comprising a coil adapted to beplaced in a line to be protected, a conductor plate adapted to beconnected to the line, and a ground plate disposed between the conductorplate and the coil and out of contact with said coil and conductor platewhereby said ground plate will receive discharges from the coil andconductor plate.

A device of the character described, comprising a coil adapted to beplaced in a line to be protected, a conductor plate adapted to beconnected to the line, and a ground plate disposed between the conductorplate and the coil whereby said ground plate will receive dischargesfrom the coil and conductor plate, there being a gap of varying widthbetween the plates.

4. A device of the character described, comprising a coil adapted to'beplaced in a line to be protected, a. ground plate arrangedlongitudinally of the coil, there being a gap of varying Width betweenthe plate and coil, and a conductor plate adapted to be connected to theline, there being a gap of varying Width between the plates,

said ground plate being disposed between the conductor plate and thecoil.

5. A device of the character described, comprising a coil adapted to be.placed in a line .to'be protected, a ground plate arrangedlongitudinally of the coil, there being a gap of varying Width plate andcoil, and a conductor plate adapted to be connected to the line, therebeing a gap of varying width between the plates, said ground plate beingdisposed between the conductor plate and the coil, said conductor platehaving one end thereof curved in an arcuate direction away from theground plate.

6. A device of the character described, comprising a coil adapted to beplaced in a line to be protected, a ground plate extendinglongitudinally of the coil for its entire length and being separatedfrom the coil by a gap, said gap increasing in width from the medialline of the ground plate in both between thegroundplate and extendingtoward the me-' directions toward the endsthereof, a ductor platemounted near each end of the dial line thereof, means for connecti theconductor plates in the line, there "bemg a gap between each conductorplate and the ground plate, said gaps increasing in width toward thesaid medial line.

7. A device of the character described,

comprising a coil adapted to be placed in a gap between each conductorplate and the ground plate, said gaps increasing in width Y toward thesaid medial line, the free ends of the conductor plates being curvedaway from the ground plate.

a 8. A device ofthe character, described,

line to be protected, aground late extending longitudinally oft e coilor its entire length and being separated from thejcoil by re'ctionstoward the ends thereof, a conductor plate mounted near. each end of theground plate and extending toward the; me-

dial line thereof, means for. connecting the.

conductor plates in the line, there being a gap between each conductorplate and the ground plate, said gaps increasing in width. toward thesaid medial line, thefree ends. of the conductorv plates being curvedaway from the ground plate, and means for 'groundingthe discharge fromthe conduc- -tor lates. the

isgspecification signed witnessed thissixth day of May, 1920.

= RUDOLF WOLF.

, I G. 'PIERSON.Y Witnesses: a y: l

WM. R. STOUT, E. Bmmrrrr comprising acoil adapted to be placedin a a 7 agap, said ga iincreasing inwidth from the medial line 0 the ground platein both di-" as I

